Steve Kerr talks to the huddle during his coaching debut for the Warriors' organization in the team's Summer League opener.

Steve Kerr talks to the huddle during his coaching debut for the Warriors' organization in the team's Summer League opener.

Photo: Jack Arent/Golden State Warriors

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Kerr, watching against Charlotte, says he will not be ranting and raving as a coach.

Kerr, watching against Charlotte, says he will not be ranting and raving as a coach.

Photo: Jack Arent/Golden State Warriors

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Warriors' Kerr coolly sits summer-league sideline for 1st time

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Las Vegas --

Making his coaching debut Friday, Steve Kerr proved to be as calm with his bench responsibilities as he was with shots in crunch time during his playing days.

Rarely leaving his seat or raising his voice, Kerr guided the Warriors to a 70-58 summer-league victory over Charlotte that showed his emphasis on defensive intensity and quick-strike offense.

"You do your work in practice and then the team plays," Kerr said. "If you have something you want to say, you say it. But, as a player, I could never hear what the hell the coach was saying, anyway. I'm not going to be the ranter or the raver."

At least, not in the summer league.

Showing his cool before his first game, Kerr said he didn't feel any butterflies for the exhibition. He even claimed that he was unaware of the opponent.

"It's basketball," Kerr said. "It's also the summer league. There will be butterflies in October, for sure."

With just three practices prior to Friday's opener, Kerr hadn't implemented much of his offense. He stressed the importance of pushing the tempo and looking for easy baskets in transition.

For times when good early looks didn't develop, Kerr installed some really basic sets and drilled them over and over again in hopes of creating a somewhat organized-looking unit.

He sat next to and chatted often with assistant coaches Luke Walton and Bruce Fraser, leaving his most experienced staffers, Alvin Gentry and Ron Adams, on the baseline to get a different vantage point and to make suggestions at halftime.

"I feel very confident in my ability to do this job," Kerr said. "At the same time, I'm well aware of how much work I have to do and what I have ahead of me. It's very exciting and extremely challenging."